What is Manual Lymphatic Drainage?
The style of lymph drainage I am trained is Dr Vodder. It is gentle and relaxing. MLD or manual lymphatic drainage uses very gentle rhythmic and pumping techniques in specific orders and directions to help lymph flow. These pumping techniques encourage the lymph’s natural pulsations to direct the fluid back through lymph nodes to be cleaned. This fluid is eventually directed to the blood circulatory system where it can be filtered and excreted out as urine if necessary. Lymphatic drainage helps to prevent the build-up of lymphatic fluid, often called water retention. MLD will promote the optimal functioning of the lymphatic systems which in turn facilitates the bodies natural cleansing process. Cells become surrounded by a more healthy environment, and the immune system can also be stimulated.
Lymph Vessels, and nodes showing where the lymphatic system empties into the circulatory system
An overview of lymph and the lymphatic system.
Your circulatory systems are the blood and lymph systems, they distribute blood and fluid throughout the body. The heart pumps oxygen, nutrient-rich blood through your arteries to arterioles which are smaller vessels that eventually become capillaries that are just one cell thick. It is here that fluid, is exchanged across capillary walls into the interstitial fluid that bathes cells. It is estimated that 1/6th of your bodies fluid is held in between your cells, in this interstitial space. Your lymph system cleans returns this fluid which contains larger molecules such as proteins, to your blood eventually.
Your lymphatic system is an open circulatory system in your body that carries lymph and runs roughly parallel to your blood circulation. The superficial lymphatics account for 80% of our lymphatic system and roughly follow your veins pathway. Superficial means the area above your muscle and below your skin. These initial lymphatics have no heart to pump this fluid and relies on the pressure from movement, mainly from surrounding muscles for circulation to occur. Our initial lymph vessels are found just below the surface of our skin. When the surrounding tissue contains enough fluid, this pressure causes fluid to move into the lymph vessels and the fluid is now known as lymph. Lymph is a colourless liquid and contains dead cells, waste products, inorganic substances, protein, fats, bacteria and viruses and water. It is estimated that about 1/6th of our fluid is held in this interstitial space. Our deep lymphatic system accounts for about 20% of the vessels. A key component of movement of the deep lymph system is diaphragmatic breathing.
The lymph system is the drainage and garbage collector system of our body, removing excess fluid and substances from our body. Lymph nodes are situated thought our body, often found in our hinge joints. We have up to 700 lymph nodes of varying sizes and you may be familiar with some of them. For example in your neck, where you may have up to 200, or your axillary nodes in your armpits. The nodes vary in size from a pin head up to a kidney bean. These nodes filter and purify the lymph and play an important part of your immune system. Eventually purified and filtered lymph is returned to the blood circulation as the lymphatic system empties its contents into back into the blood system near the heart,
“Move your lymph system. Lymph is like a sewage system that carries all the toxins out of your body ”
What causes water or fluid retention, oedema, or lymphoedema to occur?
The lymph system relies on normal muscle function to keep the flow going and to prevent a build-up. Often the cause may be unknown, but it can be caused by many different conditions such as lack of physical activity, stress, chemical overload (hormones and toxins) injury, age, diet or venous insufficiency). These factors cause the fluid flow to slow down, so fluid then may collect in the tissues which mean the surrounding cells and tissues become less healthy.
If the lymphatic system did not act to evacuate the excess protein from around the cells, the body would suffer massive oedema, functional complications and die within 24 to 48 hours" (Guyton, A.C, 1971)